Golf Rules 2026: The Rules of Golf in Plain English for Beginners

Everything here follows the Rules of Golf, Rules 1 to 24 as published by the R&A, as of November 2026. The published text doesn't print an edition year. I've written it for beginners who want the core rules, not for referees, and local rules or the Terms of the Competition at a club can change the details. If you haven't sorted out clubs or a tee time yet, my guide to getting started in golf covers that side first.

The two ideas behind every rule on the course

Two principles run through the whole game: play the course as you find it, and play the ball as it lies. Most of the rest is detail about when you're allowed to break those principles, because the Rules do let you alter conditions or play from a different place in set situations.

You can play on your own or with a partner as a side. In match play, you and an opponent compete hole by hole. In regular stroke play, everyone competes with everyone else on total score, and a marker keeps your score. The marker is either named by the Committee or chosen by you in a way the Committee approves.

Five course areas and the 14-club limit

The Rules split the course into five defined areas, and different rules apply in each:

• The teeing area, where every hole starts.
• Penalty areas, marked red or yellow.
• Bunkers.
• The putting green.
• The general area, which covers the entire course except those four.

Now the clubs. You mustn't start a round with more than 14, or have more than 14 at any point during it. If you start with fewer, you can add clubs up to 14, but you can't replace a club you lost during the round. Carrying extras by accident still counts, and the penalty depends on the format:

Format	Penalty for carrying more than 14 clubs
Match play	Deduct one hole for each hole where the breach happened, up to a maximum of two holes
Stroke play	Two penalty strokes for each hole where the breach happened, up to a maximum of four penalty strokes

So count your bag before the first tee. It takes ten seconds and it's the cheapest penalty to avoid in the whole game.

Teeing off and the order of play

Here's how a hole gets going, in the order it happens:

1. At the first hole, the honour (hitting first) is decided by the Committee's draw. With no draw, decide it by agreement or something random like a coin toss.
2. Play your first stroke from inside the teeing area, which is set out by the Committee's tee-markers. You can tee the ball up or play it off the ground.
3. A ball isn't in play until you make a stroke at it. If a teed ball falls off, re-tee it anywhere in the teeing area without penalty.
4. Play from outside the teeing area in stroke play and it's two penalty strokes, and you must replay from inside. In match play there's no penalty, but your opponent may cancel the stroke.
5. Once everyone has started the hole, the ball farther from the hole is played first.
6. In stroke play you may play out of turn when it's safe and responsible, which is known as ready golf. In match play, if you play out of turn your opponent may cancel the stroke and make you play again.
7. At the next tee, in match play whoever won the hole has the honour, and a tied hole leaves the honour where it was. In stroke play the lowest gross score on the hole goes first.

Stroke play scoring against match play scoring

These two formats feel like different games, so it's worth knowing which one you're in before you start.

	Stroke play	Match play
What counts	Strokes made plus any penalty strokes on every hole	Holes won, lost or tied
Winning a hole	Not a thing on its own: every stroke adds to your total	Finish in fewer strokes, or your opponent concedes or gets the general penalty
A tie on a hole	Doesn't matter: only the total counts	The hole is halved
Winning overall	Fewest total strokes over all rounds	Lead by more holes than remain, or your opponent concedes or is disqualified

A match play match that's tied after the final hole is extended one hole at a time until there's a winner, unless the Terms of the Competition say otherwise. In stroke play you must hole out at every hole. If you don't, you have to correct it before starting another hole or, on the last hole, before returning your scorecard, or you're disqualified. Your marker enters your gross score after each hole, and at the end both of you certify the card. In handicap play, the net score is your gross score adjusted for handicap strokes.

One scorecard catch that surprises people: return a card with a lower score than you took on any hole and you're disqualified. A higher score than the real one simply stands.

One stroke, the general penalty and disqualification

Golf has three levels of penalty. A one-stroke penalty applies to certain breaches and whenever you take penalty relief by playing from a different place. The general penalty applies to most breaches: loss of hole in match play, two penalty strokes in stroke play. Disqualification is kept for serious misconduct, or where the advantage gained is too big for your score to be valid.

You're responsible for applying your own penalties. If you know you broke a Rule that carries a penalty and you deliberately don't apply it, you're disqualified.

Lost balls, out of bounds and the provisional ball

This is the rule that catches most new golfers. A ball is lost if it isn't found within three minutes of you or your caddie starting to search. A ball at rest is out of bounds only when the whole ball lies outside the boundary edge of the course.

For either one, you take stroke-and-distance relief: add one penalty stroke and play the original or another ball from where your previous stroke was made. There's no dropping near where you think it went in.

That's why the provisional ball exists. If your ball might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds, you can play a second ball from the same spot to save the walk back. You have to announce it before you play, and you must use the word provisional or otherwise make it clear. Saying you're playing another ball, or playing again, isn't enough: that ball becomes your ball in play under stroke and distance.

Red and yellow penalty areas, plus bunkers

A penalty area is either red or yellow. You can always play the ball as it lies without penalty. Otherwise, you take penalty relief for one penalty stroke, and your options depend on the colour:

Relief option (one penalty stroke)	Yellow	Red
Stroke-and-distance	Yes	Yes
Back-on-the-line relief	Yes	Yes
Lateral relief within two club-lengths	No	Yes

In a bunker, you mustn't deliberately touch the sand to test its condition, or touch the sand with a club right in front of or behind the ball, in a practice swing or in the backswing. Rubbing the sand with your hand to feel it counts as testing. What you can do without penalty: smooth the bunker, dig your feet in for a stance, and lean on a club.

Rules on the putting green

On the green you get more freedom than anywhere else. You may mark, lift, clean and replace your ball, remove sand and loose soil, and repair damage such as ball marks. You mustn't deliberately test the green by rubbing the surface or rolling a ball during the round.

The flagstick can stay in the hole or come out, but you have to decide before the stroke. There's no penalty if your ball hits a flagstick left in the hole.

What I'd learn before a first round

I'd learn five things and leave the rest for later: count to 14 clubs, play the ball as it lies, give a lost ball three minutes and no more, say the word provisional out loud whenever a ball might be lost, and hole out every time in stroke play. Those five come up on almost every hole a beginner plays.

I'd skip the finer relief procedures and Committee terms until you're entering competitions at a club, where the local rules will tell you what's different anyway. And if your group wants a gentler outdoor game where closest to the target wins, bocce is easier to pick up and needs no tee time at all.

Frequently asked questions

How many clubs can you carry in golf?

No more than 14. Starting a round with more, or having more than 14 during the round, is a breach, and lost clubs can't be replaced.

How many holes are in a round of golf?

A round is 18 (or fewer) holes. Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green.

What is the difference between stroke play and match play?

In stroke play every player is compared on total strokes, including penalties. In match play a player and an opponent compete hole by hole, and the winner is whoever wins more holes.

How long can you look for a lost ball?

Three minutes from when you or your caddie begin searching. After that the ball is lost and you take one penalty stroke and replay from where the previous stroke was made.

What is a provisional ball?

A second ball played from where the previous stroke was made, when the first might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. You must announce it as provisional before you hit it.